Pouch: "Booster Shots on the 20th Will Be Pfizer Only... Cross-Vaccination Research Underway"

FDA Reviews Approval for Moderna and Janssen Booster Shots
Fauci Says "Moderna Booster Shot May Be Delayed by About Two Weeks"

Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. Biden administration is expected to begin COVID-19 booster shot vaccinations starting on the 20th with only the Pfizer vaccine initially. This marks a retreat from the original plan to start vaccinations with all three vaccines, including Moderna and Janssen, leading to criticism that the authorities pushed the vaccination plan too hastily. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have announced that they are also researching the possibility of mixed booster vaccinations.

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said in an interview with CBS on the 5th (local time), "We hoped to secure both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the week starting the 20th, but only one is ready, and the other is likely to follow soon."

Fauci added, "Pfizer has the relevant data for approval and seems likely to meet the vaccination deadline. Moderna is currently reviewing the data. We expect Moderna to be ready soon as well."

Earlier, the New York Times (NYT) and others reported that Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with other U.S. health officials, requested the White House to delay the start of booster shots for Moderna and Janssen vaccines.

According to the reports, Moderna's submitted data was insufficient, and Janssen had not yet submitted data, making it impossible to expedite booster shot approval.

As a result, only the Pfizer vaccine is expected to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on the data it submitted, increasing the likelihood that vaccinations will begin first with the Pfizer vaccine.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Regarding this, Fauci said, "The important factors are safety and immune efficacy," adding, "The FDA will thoroughly review these aspects and only approve booster shots when confident they are safe." He emphasized, "This means about a two-week delay in vaccination. Overall, we expect all (including Moderna) to be approved."

Additionally, health authorities stated that research on the possibility of mixed vaccinations is ongoing.

Fauci said, "We are currently conducting research," and added, "We are looking into whether a person who received the Pfizer vaccine can get a Moderna booster shot, or vice versa."

Earlier, the Biden administration announced that starting the week of the 20th, booster shots would be administered to those who completed their vaccinations eight months ago.

The original government plan was to use Pfizer, Janssen, and Moderna vaccines all starting on the 20th. However, based on Fauci's remarks, only the Pfizer vaccine seems ready, leading to criticism that the booster shot plan was pushed forward without sufficient safety review.

On the same day, Larry Hogan, a Republican and governor of Maryland, said, "The government is sending mixed messages," and added, "A clear plan regarding booster shots is necessary."

In response, the White House stated that there were no political considerations and that vaccinations could proceed as originally planned.

Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff, said in an interview with CNN, "The plan to start booster shot vaccinations on the 20th was finalized after professional reviews by the CDC and FDA," and rebutted, "If the two agencies recommend additional vaccinations, we will proceed immediately."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.